Field of the Technology
The disclosure relates to a system and method to utilize multiple context clocks, which are event driven activities such as user behavior, programmed content delivery, network status and variable electricity rates, combining with an internal electronic clock to adjust the duty cycle of an electronic system, such as plug load devices and appliances.
Related Applications
The present application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/793,160, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference and to which priority is claimed.
Description of the Prior Art
Residential electricity consumption, together with its associated generation and distribution losses, accounts for 15% of the total US energy consumption today. A 2005 residential consumption survey found that about 30% of a home's electricity is used by miscellaneous plug loads (presumably dominated by electronics), and the latest Department of Energy projections estimate that this will grow to almost 40% by 2035, while the energy demands of white goods and lighting will remain relatively stable.
A significant amount of research has been conducted in search of plug load power management solutions at the various levels of components, packaging, devices and systems. It is well recognized that the challenge is further complicated by the variety of plug-load devices, the many generations of devices, and the behavior of individual users. Consumer behavior has always been the biggest unknown factor; consumers exhibit diverse usage patterns of the same devices.
A traditional energy management system (EMS) manages energy usage by reacting passively to occupancy, environment, direct user inputs, and network changes. Such systems usually target commercial buildings and large, homogeneous systems such as HVAC and lighting. For plug load needs, systems at smaller scales are often attempted such as smart plug strips or home-energy dashboards), but they are still based on a passive, reactive design. To achieve optimal efficiency goals, active user interventions are still required in these plug load management systems.
What is needed is a system architecture which can integrate user behavior and other context information into the power state decision making process at both device and system level. The hierarchy of various context inputs should be defined to balance the frequency of user intervention and the efficiency of managed system. Some kind of electronics design for such a unit, as a standalone device or an integrated module is needed.